'The Mumbai blast of 1993 was the first act of mass casualty terrorism on the ground in India'

July 25, 2007

TThe demolition was followed by acts of violence by angry Muslims, which led to the use of force by the police against the rioting Muslims. As it always happens during and after communal riots, members of the Muslim community accused the police -- particularly in Mumbai -- of excessive use of force against the Muslims and of failing to protect them. The acts of violence by the Muslims in protest against the demolition were expected. The police were not taken by surprise.

What took the police and the intelligence agencies by surprise was the 12 well-orchestrated explosions in Mumbai on March 12, 1993, in which 235 innocent civilians were killed. It was the first act of mass casualty terrorism on the ground in India.

The mass casualty terrorism by the Khalistani terrorists in June 1985, which brought down the Kanishka aircraft, was in the air. It was also the first act of reprisal terrorism by jihadi terrorists in Indian territory outside J&K. It was the first act of terrorism in which the ISI brought about a nexus between the jihadi terrorists and the organised crime mafia.

It was also the first major act of terrorism directed against important economic targets. Since 1981, the ISI had been asking the Khalistanis to attack economic targets. The jihadi terrorism in J&K, which started in 1989, also disrupted the tourist economy of the state.

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